Work from Castaneda's Ethnic Museum; Pima County's Parks Art Students Now on Display

For For Immediate Release: August 25, 2010

Work From Castaneda's Ethnic Museum; Pima County Parks Art Students Now on Display at TIA

A Class by Themselves, featuring work by Larry Wollam and his art students at Pima County Parks & Recreation, is on display in Tucson International Airport'sLower Link Gallery near baggage carousel seven through October 8, 2010.

"Teaching is an art in itself," says Carmen Christy, a longtime student of Larry Wollam's, "and finding the right art teacher made all the difference, particularly since I felt I had no artistic ability to begin with."

The results are impressive. Works in watercolor, graphite, and colored pencil by more than 20 of the students, along with works by Mr. Wollam, demonstrate what motivated students can accomplish with inspired teaching.

Also on display in the baggage claim area is an exhibit of costumes and artifacts from the Castaneda Museum of Ethnic Costume. A Journey South, features dolls in original ethnic costumes as well as textiles from southern Arizona to South America.

This educational exhibit takes the viewer through a series of panels to cultivate an appreciation and respect for all the world's peoples and cultures as well as stimulate the viewer's interest in geography.

Artifacts and dolls representing Native American groups of Arizona and Latin America, continuing through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.

A traditional style blouse and long skirt worn, by Seri women from Sonora, Mexico, is displayed with a note that womens' face painting is now used only for special occasions. In the doll's hand is a carved pelican, which would be made from the ironwood tree in real life.

Several examples of the huipil, a pre-Columbian garment used by women of many indigenous groups in Mexico and Central America, today, are on display, including the regional style of huipil from the village of Tixhualacton near the town of Kanxoc, Mexico; a huipil from San Pedro Carcha near Coban, Guatemala; and another from Guatamela from San Andres Xecul that features a heavily embroidered yoke.

The Castaneda Museum of Ethnic Costume is dedicated to the study and exhibition of the world's ethnic and folk costumes, textile, dolls, and masks. With nearly 3,000 individual textiles and related objects a majority of the textiles pertain to Mexican and Guatemalan indigenous groups. More information is available at http://castanedamuseum.org/